


Snow Festival

by victimofmywoes



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:01:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28155015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victimofmywoes/pseuds/victimofmywoes
Summary: Sidefic to Changes. A sort of semi-sequel? The one in which Sasuke comes to visit Naruto in Hokkaido for the snow festival, but things don't go to plan as they should. A vexed Sasuke, a vexed Naruto and a few unannounced guests. Romance and loads of fluff.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Snow Festival

Sasuke poured himself a cup of coffee. He absently ran a hand through his hair before scratching at his navel at the bit of dried cum that had stuck from the morning. He yawned leisurely and took a sip of his steaming coffee, sighing with gratitude at the flavor. His red and white checkered boxers rode low on his hips as he made his way to Naruto's couch. Having nothing to do without Naruto who'd gone to work, he decided to watch the news. It was partly cloudy outside with temperature going as low as -1°C. The weatherman predicted snowfall at night. He snickered. This was Hokkaido. Snowfall in February was nothing if not a normal occurrence.

He moved his neck from the right to the left working out the cricks before putting down his half full cup of coffee and standing to stretch. He raised his hands and then bent down at the waist to touch his toes and winced when dull pain raced up his spine. He'd told Naruto countless number of times to go easy on him, but Naruto never listened, choosing instead to just ram his junk and move like there was no tomorrow. Well, not that Sasuke minded at the time when he thrust back and moaned as Naruto's heat slid inside him. Sasuke suddenly smiled at the thought.

He continued doing some random exercises to get his bones to pop and his body to relax. Once he was done fixing all his joints, he swept an eye across the room, smiling to himself when he saw how neat and orderly the place looked. His thoughts ran to the bedroom which he knew was a different story with all their clothes strewn across the floor, half the comforter on the floor and globs of dried cum from the previous night and this morning, on dark sheets.

Since the frozen temperatures outside had thwarted whatever plans he'd made for sightseeing – not that he'd made any without Naruto in them - he decided to do the laundry and was just in the process of going to the bedroom when the doorbell rang. He frowned wondering who it could be as he went to the door. He stared aghast at his mother's and father's faces as they stared at the door phone. He assumed that's where they were looking since they both wore stylish sunglasses that Sasuke had never seen before.

Panic flared through his body as he looked around helplessly before dashing to the door to open it. Realization of his partial state of undress, not to mention the dried cum on his body was a little late, but Sasuke thanked his stars that it was before he turned the knob and opened the door to greet the people who'd given him life. He ran to the bedroom and grabbed the first pair of pajamas he could find. Getting into them in his panicked state was no easy feat and he almost tripped and fell on his face when the doorbell sounded again. He looked around wildly and put his hands into the sleeves of the first t-shirt he could lay his hands on and then raced to the door.

He opened it in time to see his father take out his iPhone in the middle of discussing whether calling Naruto would be a good idea. Sasuke frowned, wondering why in the world his parents were standing at the doorstep of his lover.

Fugaku took off his sunglasses and peered at Sasuke like he was an apparition. "Sasuke," he boomed, frowning at his younger son, "What the hell are you doing here?"

_This is what I should be asking you._

The irony of the question wasn't lost on him. "I came for the Snow Festival," he replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He refrained himself from asking his father the same question.

"But Itachi didn't tell us you'd be here!" Mikoto spoke and her tone was almost accusatory, like Sasuke's presence was obstructing her plans of sorts. "I mean, this is a _pleasant_ surprise, but Sasuke you should have contacted us if you were going to come here." Then suddenly, as if realizing that the greetings and hugs had not been exchanged, she suddenly leaned forward and quickly hugged Sasuke, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

 _Yeah, and let you ruin my one perfect week with my lover, right?_ Sasuke almost rolled his eyes. Now that the initial shock of seeing his parents at the front door of his lover's apartment had worn off, Sasuke was immensely pissed, both at his parents and his lover. He returned her hug perfunctorily, albeit a little stiffly.

He looked down at his mother and frowned. "What are you two doing here?" he asked, still standing at the door, reluctant to let his own parents in, bewildered at _their_ sudden intrusion.

The sun shone bleakly in the sky, hidden behind huge white clouds. A slight gust of wind blew their way, causing a chill to run down his spine and make him realize how scantily dressed he was as he shivered, his teeth chattering slightly, hand almost frozen at the handle of the apartment. Stubbornness alone prevented him from standing aside and telling his parents to come in.

 _Well at least they are warm_ , he thought wryly, taking note of the thick North Face jackets that his parents were wore along with the scarves and gloves, not to mention the fact that both his parents wore snow boots while he stood there in Naruto's outdoor slippers, which _weren't_ warm at all.

His parents looked at him like he was demented. Immediately, Fugaku frowned and crossed his arms. "We are here for the festival as well." he frowned heavily, as if insulted at his son's gall to ask such a question.

Sasuke nodded, hand almost hurting with the cold, still reluctant to let them inside Naruto's apartment. Finally, Mikoto asked in what seemed like a forcibly softened tone, "Well, are you going to let us in or should we all just stand in the cold?"

He stepped back, realizing he had little choice in the matter as his folks stepped inside the house and proceeded to remove their boots at the entrance. "Get the suitcase, Sasuke," his father commanded and he frowned at his father's back, before stepping out in the freezing cold and seeing the big ass suitcase staring back at him. Making a face, he pulled out the stand and proceeded to drag it inside the apartment.

Both Fugaku and Mikoto took off their sunglasses and began making themselves comfortable. In fact, Mikoto became a little too friendly as she began snooping around like a hawk, opening and closing doors and drawers, peering into various places and objects. She was on her way to their bedroom when Sasuke on reflex, went ahead of her to slam the door shut before she could enter it. "It's rude to enter someone's bedroom, Mother," he reprimanded his mother who just waved her hand dismissively, smiling slyly.

"It's just Naruto, Sasuke," she said, as if that alone gave her the right to enter his bedroom. "Besides, one small peek won't hurt Naruto now, would it?"

It wasn't Naruto who was going to be hurting after seeing the sheets. Sasuke knew this as he frowned heavily at his mother, stunned by her audacity and intrusiveness.

"Oh, don't be mean!" she admonished Sasuke, trying to push him aside. "I've always wanted to do this!" she said and for the first time in his life, Sasuke was shocked speechless in front of his mother. Not only had the woman he'd known for the past thirty years of his life probably tried to snoop around his lover's room, but she'd done it in the very presence of _her_ better half, who sat on the couch Sasuke had perched upon himself not five minutes ago and was relaxing, immune to her words. This felt as if he was in some kind of an alternate universe in a bizarre dream.

"Come now, Sasuke," Mikoto waved a hand at her son before smacking him slightly on the shoulder. "I'll just take a _little_ peek," she said, winking slyly at her son, causing Sasuke to frown heavily at her.

He ran a hand through his face but refused to budge. "No can do, mother. You must respect his privacy."

When she still looked like she was dying to go inside, Sasuke glared at her, till she turned away and went to sit beside Fugaku, all the while muttering something under her breath.

"Sasuke, pour us some tea, will you? Your mother and I have had a rough flight." Fugaku ordered, from his seat on the sofa, curling his arm around Mikoto and smiling down at her. Mikoto smiled back and they both began murmuring a few words between themselves, giggling and behaving like a newlywed couple.

Sasuke watched with utter disdain for a second, fighting the urge to throw up before he made his way to the kitchen to put the kettle to boil.

"So, what brought you here to Naruto's apartment?" he asked after a while of listening to his parents' low voices. He knew they wouldn't stay here, with Naruto's apartment just being just a 1LDK flat that he had helped the blond man pick, but somehow curiosity got the better of him and he felt compelled to ask.

He placed two cups in the tray he had prepared with the tea and walked over to the living room. Fugaku looked up from where his gaze had apparently been locked with his wife's and eyed Sasuke with pure annoyance. It irritated Sasuke to see his own father treat him like an outsider that was invading upon his privacy. "We came to meet him, of course," Fugaku boomed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes, since we are here in Hokkaido and we brought him presents too," Mikoto added as she stood up to open the gigantic suitcase, they'd brought with them.

"Did Naruto know you were coming here?" Sasuke asked, frowning heavily as he opened the box of tea and shook out some to put in the teapot.

"Of course not!" Mikoto scoffed at Sasuke as she grinned cheekily at her husband. "We just wanted to surprise him."

Sasuke blinked owlishly at the people he was forced to call his parents. He shook his head slightly confused. "Right now? Did you not think that he would be at work? And why would you want to surprise Naruto? And how in the world did you manage to get his address?" he asked.

Mikoto exchanged a look with Fugaku before she turned to look at her son who was in the process of bringing the tea for two to the center table. "Well…" she began and trailed off. She turned to glance at Fugaku again who nodded for some unfathomable reason. "Itachi gave us his address."

"What would you do if no one was here?" he asked.

Mikoto shrugged. "Well, of course we would have checked back in the evening or something," she said.

_This is fishy as hell!_

Sasuke sighed. "Alright, now tell me why you guys are really here."

Mikoto walked up to Sasuke who after placing the tray was standing beside the table with his arms crossed across his chest, frowning at his parents. She put her arm on Sasuke's shoulder and asked in a conspiring tone, "Sasuke, does Naruto have a girlfriend?"

Sasuke's blood ran cold immediately. "Why do you ask?" he enquired, his tone turning cold unconsciously.

Mikoto it seemed didn't feel the coldness for she continued to glance at Sasuke with the same sneaky and inquisitive look. "Just tell me quickly," she demanded.

"First tell me why you want to know," he asked, his heart twisting in his chest like a knife.

"Well, your father's business associate Hyuuga-san has a daughter who apparently has a thing for Naruto. She works in the same company as Naruto and she was even here in the Hokkaido office. Since they are both coming to Hokkaido for the festival, we thought if Naruto is interested, we could get the two to meet and know each other. Say Sasuke, don't you think the two of them would look good together?"

"Mother, Naruto has someone he loves," Sasuke said. His voice was cold and quiet. His heart was thudding madly in his chest. He felt like he was one step away from confessing to his parents and coming out to them simultaneously.

Mikoto frowned. "What kind of a girl is she? Is she someone we know?"

"They are someone wonderful. Naruto has been with that person since the past eight years. They are in a long-distance relationship as of now," he finished, thinking about the miles that stood between them.

Mikoto's face dropped at that. She sighed and then sat down beside Fugaku again who immediately put his arm around her. "Don't let that get you down, love." He murmured, petting her hair affectionately.

Sasuke's heart eased immediately. He clicked his tongue at the display of affection between his parents. "Get a room you two," he mumbled, taking a seat across from them on the other sofa.

"We got one at the hotel near the station," his mother replied cheekily as she began pouring the now cold tea for herself and her husband.

"By the way Sasuke, would you like to go with us?" Mikoto asked as if she was suddenly hit by a thought. "Hyuuga-sama will also be there with his daughter and since she is the same age as you, you could keep her company."

Sasuke realized where this was going. He decided to put a stop on this before it could escalate any further. "Mother, I have absolutely no interest in entertaining either Hyuuga-sama or his daughter and neither does Naruto. I came here to enjoy the festival with him and there is nothing anyone can say which will change my plans."

Mikoto eyed Sasuke strangely. "Why would Naruto want to enjoy the festival with you when he has someone he loves?"

"Mother, that's because I come before anyone else." Sasuke smirked at his mother who rolled her eyes at him.

"Wait till he gets married. Then we shall see who comes before whom." Mikoto jeered at her son and Sasuke wondered why his mother was behaving like this.

He rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his father. "Please tell Mother to behave herself," he told Fugaku who just lifted his hand in dismissal.

"Your mother is never wrong, Sasuke." He turned his gaze towards his wife who was in the process of opening the titanic suitcase and taking out a golden colored paper bag. She turned and eyed Fugaku for a second before moving her eyes to Sasuke's face and raising her eyebrows.

Sasuke had to be amazed at how well his father understood his mother for he suddenly turned back towards Sasuke and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to come along with us and meet Hinata?"

 _Hinata…where had he heard the name?_ It seemed vaguely familiar. In fact, it was familiar to the point that he could taste it on his tongue. But for the life of him he could not recall where. However, replying to his parents was more important than busying his brain with this irrelevant person named Hinata.

Sasuke shrugged. There was no way in hell he was going to ruin his vacation for some sissy princess who had her sneaky eyes on his Naruto. He was going to stay out of it and he would make sure Naruto would too. "Nope," he said, pocketing his hands in his pajama pants.

Mikoto placed the paper bag on the coffee table and snapped her suitcase shut. "I don't know if I will be able to see you off happily in this lifetime," she mourned as she looked at Sasuke with the corner of her eye.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at that. He was too used to his mother's antics to know where this was going. "Mother you know this never works and it will never work. I have absolutely no intention of wooing or marrying anyone. I am happy the way I am right now." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder and rotating her in the direction of the apartment door.

"But for how long? Even Naruto has gone ahead and found his happiness!" Mikoto almost screeched.

Sasuke sighed. "Please don't worry. I'm doing really well. Much better than you think," he said. He turned to look at his father and narrowed his eyes at him as if telling him to join Mikoto who was already at the door putting on her boots.

Fugaku sighed as he got up. He knew when to take a clue. "Fine, we will leave. Just know that we are staying in Hotel Sunshine near the station and that if Naruto…uh… _alienates_ you for his girlfriend then you are most welcome to come over and entertain Hinata." Fugaku proceeded to put on his boots.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and pushed his hair from his face. "Yeah…yeah…whatever you say." He moved towards the living room and once again lugged that monstrosity of a suitcase towards the door. He then rolled it towards the elevator for effect and smirked when his parents followed in his wake. "Did you take a taxi to get here?" he asked pressing the down button of the elevator.

Fugaku shook his head as he once again encompassed Mikoto in his arms. "I actually rented a car," he said. Sasuke nodded and watched his parents as they once again went back to whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears. He was glad that he only had to watch the nauseating scene for a few seconds because the elevator dinged then and at a speed which could have put a bell boy to shame, he hauled their suitcase inside the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. He waved at his parents casually while his father called out his offer to entertain Hinata once again. "I hope we see you soon!"

_NO! Nope! Not happening in a million years!_

He knew he was not going to see his parents again. At least not for the while he was there in Hokkaido. He would make sure he didn't. Sasuke vowed to himself as he went back to Naruto's bedroom and began picking up his and Naruto's clothes off the floor for laundry.

Nope, it was just not happening.

* * *

Naruto slipped a hand out if his coat pocket and slid it as sneakily as he could into Sasuke's hand which was lying idly at his side. They were outside on the streets of Sapporo taking a casual stroll after having a hearty meal. They were both bundled in heavy wool coats and scarves. He smiled when Sasuke squeezed his hand and brought their entwined hands into his own pocket.

"How do you find it?" he asked Sasuke who was busy looking around with a small smile lingering on his lips.

"Find what?" Sasuke asked, tearing his glance from the various shops and turning back to look at Naruto.

Naruto gestured around with his free hand. "What do you think of this town, this place?"

Sasuke smiled as he squeezed Naruto's hand in his pocket. "Anywhere is fine if it is with you," he said.

Naruto gave him a cheesy smile to match those equally cheesy words and squeezed his hand back. "I've missed you," he said.

They were in a somewhat darker part of the street; the streetlight at the distance was causing shadows to fall on their faces. Sasuke blew Naruto a kiss and said, "I've missed you more."

Naruto couldn't help it. He grabbed Sasuke and drew him in a tight hug. "Bless my heart! What am I going to do with you?"

Before Sasuke could nuzzle against the warmth of Naruto's thick woolen coat, their moment was broken by voices coming from the back. Instantly they drew apart and began walking beside each other.

"Naruto? Sasuke? Is that you?" They turned in stunned silence to see Mikoto and Fugaku walking towards them with an older man and a young woman in tow. The group stopped when they were directly under the streetlight.

This must be Hyuuga-sama and his daughter, Sasuke mused as he eyed the young woman with curiosity. The young woman had dark hair tied in a long ponytail. Her eyes were eerily light from what he could make in the dark since her face wasn't covered with a scarf like theirs. She moved her head and the large silver hoops she wore in her ears glinted in the light. He did not like the way she looked at Naruto.

As subtly as he could, he shifted to the left, closer to Naruto. Naruto bowed towards Fugaku and Mikoto murmuring his apologies for his absence in the morning. He then turned towards Hyuuga-sama and his daughter and bowed while Fugaku introduced them. Sasuke had to physically restrain himself from pulling Naruto behind him when he saw the way Hinata was practically leering at him.

Hyuuga-sama, apparently, was unaware of Naruto's romantic interests for he grasped Naruto's hand tightly in his and brought him closer to where Hinata stood. "Naruto-kun it's a pleasure to meet you! I believe you have met my daughter Hinata at the office?"

Naruto bowed at Hinata once more. "Ah yes. Hyuuga Hinata-sama. It's a pleasure to meet you here," he murmured softly.

_Yes, of course! She is the head of the planning department in Naruto's office!_

Instantly it clicked. Sasuke remembered her from this photograph Naruto had sent him after he joined the Hokkaido office. It was of the welcome party the office had thrown for Naruto. The picture itself had been taken at a karaoke with every person of the office in the frame. But what had really caught Sasuke's eye was the woman who was standing beside Naruto. While everyone smiled at the camera, she was the only one who wasn't looking at the camera because she was too busy staring at Naruto. Naruto, too, oblivious as he was, clearly did not seem to have noticed. From thereon, Hinata's name would pop up here and there and it made Sasuke instinctively uncomfortable. But Naruto had stopped mentioning her of late, which is probably why Sasuke could not recall her instantly.

He looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes. She clasped Naruto's hand in hers and pulled Naruto into a hug. "It's been so long Naruto! I should have never gone to the main branch for the training. Not being with you makes work extremely boring." Sasuke watched Naruto try to remove himself from the hug to no avail. Hinata wasn't letting go. Immediately, he decided to step in.

As smoothly as he could, he thrust his hand out to Hinata. Beside him, he heard the soft gasp that came out of Mikoto's mouth. "Hinata-sama, Uchiha Sasuke, it's a pleasure," he murmured.

Hinata looked at Sasuke and then down at the outstretched hand. She had no choice but to reluctantly let go of Naruto to grip Sasuke's hand for the handshake. "Likewise," she said forcing a smile. Sasuke nearly flinched at the strength she used to grip his hand. He was sure this was a warning of some sort. Mercifully the handshake did not last long. But it made matters worse because as soon as she let go of Sasuke's hand, she immediately moved next to Naruto and grabbed him by the arm.

Hyuuga-sama understood where this was leading. He moved away and came to stand next to Fugaku and they both started a dull chatter on the share market while Mikoto took Sasuke's hand and started leading the group. Mikoto leaned into Sasuke and excitedly whispered, "It looks like someone has a crush!" She said in a sing-song voice as she gently poked her son on his arm.

"Yeah, it's pretty hard to miss." Sasuke spoke, sarcastically.

"What are you talking about?" Mikoto looked puzzled at her son's response.

"Hinata-sama, she's all over Naruto." Sasuke said, not bothering to hide the disdain in his voice.

Mikoto gasped, causing Sasuke to look at her. "Oh my God, Sasuke, are you…jealous?"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks to glare at the person who'd brought him in the world. He scoffed and replied, "No," with grit teeth.

Beside him, Mikoto giggled. "I was right! Sasuke you have a crush on Hinata-sama, don't you?" Mikoto gushed.

_If only she knew…_

He tried to disentangle his arm from his mother's but she wouldn't have it. She grabbed it back and twined hers again with her son's. "You're being churlish and it proves I'm right," she said with conviction. Sasuke made no attempt to correct her.

After walking a couple of steps, she suddenly turned to her son and said, "Should I just go break them? Naruto has someone he loves after all! It would be great to see her with you," she raised her eyebrows suggestively at Sasuke who just sighed and stared straight ahead.

"Don't go being hasty, Mother. She works with Naruto." Sasuke warned.

Mikoto deflated. "But I wanted to see her with you! You'd make such nice Uchiha Hyuuga babies!" she wailed.

Sasuke was at the end of his stick. He jerked her rather hard and said, "For heaven's sake, Mother! I do not have a crush on Hinata. She's not even my type!"

Mikoto did not look convinced at that. "Really now? The way you went to shake her hand, all eager, proves otherwise."

Unable to bear it anymore, he suddenly turned around to see how Naruto was faring.

Hinata's arm was still around Naruto's and she was gushing on and on about something. Naruto's expressions weren't all that clear but Sasuke knew he was just pretending to be polite as he kept nodding to whatever the Hyuuga heiress said. He quickened his steps, causing his mother to stare at him funny. He was thankful that she didn't say anything but trudged along with his fast pace.

After a few minutes of brisk walking, they rounded the corner to the station. Sasuke saw the hotel where his parents were staying and heaved a sigh of relief. Now they would finally, _finally_ be free of his parents, the overbearing Hyuuga-sama and his wretched daughter. He quickened his pace once more, suddenly unable to bear another second with his present company.

They stood in front of the hotel as they waited for others to catch up. Apparently, he was the only one walking like his feet were on fire with his poor mother beside him. The rest of the party had their own plans, taking their sweet time in coming over. He glanced at his watch which read 10:30 and smiled. His parents would soon be retiring for the night. Hopefully, Hyuuga-sama would also take the hint and end this meeting as soon as possible. He turned in the direction of the sidewalk to watch the others slowly making their way towards the hotel. He could see Naruto now who truly looked awkward with Hinata still clutching on to his arm. Her black painted nails looked like talons to Sasuke. She said something to Naruto who gave her a half-hearted nod as his eyes locked on Sasuke's. He shot Sasuke an apologetic look but continued to listen to what Hinata was saying.

Hyuuga-sama and his father arrived a few moments later, both deep in discussion about the current economy and the country leader's new policies. They politely stopped, however, when they reached Sasuke and his mother. Fugaku stood beside Mikoto and wrapped an arm around her. Sasuke hid his smile inside the scarf he wore. He turned his attention back to his blond boyfriend who was being dragged super slowly by the power of Hinata's arm on his. They reached in a couple of minutes as well, and finally Hinata let go of his arm. He immediately moved towards Sasuke and came to stand beside him. He gave Sasuke a reassuring smile.

_It was time to go._

"Well then, it's getting late. We shall take our leaves," Sasuke said, making a show of looking at his watch and pretending as if he'd just realized the lateness of the hour. He took a step back and Naruto followed suit. Sasuke's parents also nodded in acknowledgement. Hyuuga-sama was just about to nod at that suggestion, when Hinata demurely put a lock of hair behind her ear and elbowed her father. She politely said, "Since we're all here on a Friday night on _vacation_ , I'm sure Naruto and Uchiha San wouldn't mind coming upstairs for a drink, would they?"

Four pairs of expectant eyes landed on the couple. Sasuke felt his heart shrink a little. Beside him, Naruto cleared his throat. "Inasmuch as I hate to say this, work has been hectic as of late and I'm quite tired…," he trailed off. Sasuke's heart surged with relief at Naruto's statement.

Immediately all the elders started bristling around and murmuring their "Of course!" and "Goodnight" to them. Sasuke turned towards Hinata who looked at them with narrowed eyes as if suspicious of them. He was very tempted to give her a smirk of victory but he held it in for Naruto's sake. Mikoto came forward to hug them both. Hinata crept up behind her as if waiting her turn. Once Mikoto was done hugging Naruto, Hinata swept in like a hawk and took him aside to have a word with him. Sasuke wanted to follow him but Mikoto chose that moment to put her arms around him. "Goodnight Sasuke. Take care and don't give Naruto any trouble," she said, as if Sasuke was a mere toddler. Sasuke nodded, wanting nothing more than to remove his mother's arms and walk to where Hinata and Naruto were. He listened to his mother distractedly as she started to share her plans with him. Any other day, he would have gladly listened to her. Hell, he would have taken out some time to spend with her and Fugaku, but dealing with a Hinata who was trying to latch onto his Naruto was far more important.

Hinata reached out for Naruto's hand immediately once they were away from everyone else. He automatically pocketed his hands in his coat pockets before she could grab them. Perturbed by this act, Hinata took a step closer and once again placed a long lock of black hair behind her ear. "Naruto, when will you go to see the snow sculptures?" Hinata inquired, as she crossed her arms and put on her bossy expression again, determined now.

Naruto knew where this was going. He played dumb as he scratched the back of his head and narrowed his eyes in thought. He faked a thoughtful tone and said, "Well, _Sasuke_ and _I_ haven't really decided when we will go. Is there something wrong, Hinata-sama?" he asked when he saw her expression which had turned to one of pure disdain at Sasuke's mention.

"Why do you want to go with Sasuke? He's boring and on top of that, a man. Snow sculptors are rather romantic. Shouldn't you take a _lady_ with you?" Naruto fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"They're just snow sculptures! Does it matter who I see them with? Besides, I invited Sasuke here for the festival! Why on Earth would I not want to go with him? What are you trying to suggest?" Naruto returned, his expression turning animated as he looked at Hinata.

Hinata shifted her weight from one fancy high heeled boot to the other. She threw out her arms and exasperatedly said, "I am suggesting that you ditch him and go to the festival with me!" Hinata let out in equally agitated tone.

"Oh, I could never! Thank you for the offer Hinata-sama but I couldn't dare to go with you." Naruto spoke, keeping his polite façade up.

The mock respect had a very clear meaning and intention to it. Naruto didn't seem keen at all to take Hinata. When Hinata came to this realization, she seemed to dim a little. She expected Naruto to brighten up like a lamp at the suggestion and say yes to ditch that sulky Sasuke and go with her to the snow festival. She glanced at Naruto's face and her confidence slipped. She wondered if Naruto already had someone in his life. But she had stalked him on all forms of social media and had come up empty handed. But it pissed her off why Naruto would want to be so loyal to a man as silent and boring as Sasuke. Surely, she was better! To top it off, she genuinely liked Naruto and wanted them to work out.

With her resolution in place, she started. " _Because_ ," she emphasized, "I'm a native of Sapporo! Not only could _I_ give _you_ an exemplary tour of the festival but of the town itself! I know you've been coped with work lately and you haven't really had the time to explore this place. We can use this opportunity to look around and I can acquaint you with all the best spots around town! What say?"

Naruto was not to be defeated either. "Hinata-sama, thank you for the offer, but Sasuke is _my_ guest and we've already made plans for our own. Besides, I'm sure we both can navigate around a town like Sapporo!" he laughed politely to take the barb out of his words.

Hinata's expression soured a little but she had no choice in the matter. "I understand. I won't ask anymore. See you around." With that, she threw a dirty look at Sasuke who was now walking towards Naruto, flicked her hair over her shoulder and started walking towards the entrance of the hotel.

She turned around just as soon as Sasuke reached Naruto's side. "I will see you very soon _Naruto_."

Both Naruto and Sasuke felt a shudder pass through them. Whether it was a threat, an empty promise or a greeting, only time would tell.

* * *

"Are you sure that's all we need?" Sasuke asked, looking down at his cart which was piled high with the ingredients for dinner.

"I guess. Let me go grab a couple of beers and I think we're good to go," Naruto said, turning to the alcohol section. He carefully scanned his surroundings to ensure there was no sign of the Uchiha parents or of Hyuuga-sama or worse Hinata.

Lately, wherever they went, they found either of them there. They encountered the Uchiha parents with Hinata when they were strolling alongside Lake Otaru. They went to dinner in a swanky upscale restaurant near the shopping district, and two tables behind them sat Hyuuga-sama with his daughter, drinking hot sake non-stop. From shopping to evening strolls to even quick supermarket runs had become as difficult as climbing a hill. Sapporo was no longer a big city, it seemed. Or, if Naruto was to be completely honest, Hinata was always present. Whether it was subconscious or a well calculated act on Hinata's part, they'd seen her around so much that they could no longer chalk bumping into Hinata as mere coincidence.

What was worse was how Sasuke's dislike for Hinata was so obvious, it was palpable. He remembered how hard it'd been for him to calm his lover down after the huge drama that played out on the day, they'd met Hyuuga-sama and Sasuke's parents on the road. The constant bumping to Hinata was making things even worse. What more, Hinata had, on more than one occasion, tried to invite herself to Naruto's place only to be rejected by one or two feeble excuses. However, far from deterring Hinata, it only made her more pompous and brazen in her attempts to disrupt them. If she wasn't present there in person, trying to crash their dates, she was constantly texting Naruto. Every time his phone went off, Sasuke materialized next to him like magic and stared at him and the phone like a hawk. It wasn't like Sasuke did not trust him, but Hinata's demeanor got under his skin. His instincts told him that she could not be shaken off lightly. And that affected him in a way he could not really express.

Naruto pushed up his sunglasses and covered his nose and mouth with his mask as he moved towards the alcohol section. He picked up a case of Suntory beer when she appeared next to him. Honestly, he wasn't surprised anymore when she exclaimed, "Naruto, what a pleasant surprise!"

_Only for you, Hinata. To me, it feels like a recurring nightmare._

"Hi," Naruto replied, nonchalantly. He dropped the beer he'd picked up, feeling the need for something stronger. He took off his sunglasses and pocketed them. Now that Hinata was already here, talking to him, wearing them seemed like a moot point.

Hinata pretended to peruse through some _Chuhai_ but Naruto could see that she was constantly watching him from the corner of her eye. He returned to making his selection of alcohol. He picked up a bottle of whiskey when Hinata suddenly put her arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder to peer at his choice of alcohol. "Seems like someone's got big plans tonight," she looked at him through her lashes and smiled. Naruto felt a shudder run through his spine. Lately, that smile was beginning to feel like an unsettling leer.

Instinctively, he stepped away from her and turned before she could close the distance between them and try to touch him again. He bent down to pick up a bottle of Jack Daniel's and pretended to read the label. "Not really," he replied vaguely.

Hinata perked up at that. "Then, how about we go out for dinner? Just you and me?" she asked, excitement oozing out from every pore.

Naruto sighed internally. "Hyuuga-sama, you forget, Sasuke is still here."

Hinata crossed her arms and turned completely to face Naruto who continued perusing the label of a Suntory whiskey. "Again, with Sasuke! I don't understand your relationship with him!" Hinata almost spat the words at Naruto in exasperation.

Naruto put down the bottle of Suntory and considered coming out to her right then and there, in the middle of the alcohol aisle. And he would have had he not remembered Sasuke and his parents and the onset of the stigma of their choices in this closeted, small-minded society that they lived in. But mostly because of Sasuke.

Hinata's eyes narrowed at him. "Uchiha Sasuke has been my friend since we were three! He has been with me; has supported me and has given everything I could ask for! So, tell me Hinata-sama, is it wrong of me to want to show him where I live? To spend one holiday with him? Is there something left to not understand here?" he asked.

He knew he'd shut her up. But a shiver of trepidation ran down his spine when he thought about all the things he'd said unwittingly were Hinata to start reading between the lines. But there was more that had to be said and he needed to do it now before Hinata could start looking for another opportunity. He turned towards her now, ready to say his final piece, but just as he could open his mouth and voice it, Sasuke chose that moment to poke his head in the liquor section with an, "Oh there you are!"

Naruto turned his face to Sasuke's and the moment was gone. Hinata immediately rolled her eyes at the sight of Sasuke and turned away to hastily load two bottles of expensive whiskey to her cart. Once she was done and Sasuke was standing beside Naruto with their own cart, she pushed her hair away from her face, shot Sasuke a seething glare and muttered, "This isn't over, Naruto," before wheeling her cart away.

Sasuke shot Naruto a quizzical glance and he only rolled his eyes upward, before turning to the rows of alcohol. It didn't take them a second to jump into a discussion on what alcohol they wanted.

* * *

Naruto smiled as he studied Sasuke's eyes twinkling with wonder at the variety of snow figures they saw. "It's gorgeous!" Sasuke said, huffing out a cold puff of air, his eyes taking in the intricate details of an angel figure.

They were at the Odori Park for the magnificent snow festival, surrounding by hundreds of people who were snapping pictures after pictures of the various sculptures that had been carved. The main sculpture was of a scene from some famous anime about titans that had gained immense popularity worldwide. Sasuke and Naruto had both been awestruck at the giant carvings made out of snow. It wasn't their first time here but they were as excited as they were when they'd come here first. They spent the whole day eating and drinking and sightseeing the places around them. They clicked pictures inside igloos and purchased souvenirs for their friends and colleagues back home and now here they were, marveling at manmade wonders of snow.

Sasuke tugged Naruto's arm and pointed towards a comical sculpture who wore a shocking expression and Naruto laughed with him. He saw a stall to the side offering hot sake and just as he turned over his shoulder to ask Sasuke if he wanted some, he almost did a double take. He was sure he saw Hinata walking towards the titan sculpture, her head turning in all directions as if looking for someone. He held his breath as she turned in his direction but she turned away quickly and Naruto released the breath he'd been holding. He was glad she hadn't taken notice of them yet or she would be there before Naruto could warn Sasuke.

With his body turned ice cold, he turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, I think I just saw Hinata," he said in a low voice.

Sasuke's little smile froze on his face as he turned to look at Naruto. At once, they both began rummaging through their coats for their masks and sunglasses. They looked as if someone had just sucked the happiness out of their lives. They huddled to a dark corner and watched surreptitiously towards the general direction of the Hyuuga heiress. "How did she know?" Naruto turned his head towards Sasuke and hissed incredulously. Beside him, Sasuke was so angry he was shaking beneath the weight of his feelings.

"That's what I want to know, Naruto!" Sasuke spat.

Naruto rounded on him so fast he almost gave himself a whiplash. "You think _I_ told her?" Naruto pointed his index finger at his nose for clarity, almost shouting the words and Sasuke took off his sunglasses to show an expression which clearly indicated his murderous aura.

A few people behind them began whispering furiously as Naruto ran his tongue across his teeth as he stared heavenward for patience, tapping his foot in what Sasuke knew was a tempestuous fit of anger. Suddenly Sasuke felt really stupid for laying the blame on Naruto. Hinata was tailing them ever since the start of this vacation. _Of course_ , she knew where they were!

"I'm sorry," Sasuke conceded quickly as he took one step closer to Naruto who stood rooted on the spot and continued to tap his left foot in anger. He was about to reach out and take Naruto's hand when someone cleared their throat near them and the moment broke. They both turned simultaneously towards the intruder and Sasuke let out a bemused chuckle. Sure enough, Hinata strode forward in her fucking high heeled boots, looking like the cat who stole the cream. She did not even bother feigning surprise now as she stood in front of Naruto and how Naruto wished he wouldn't have been so _stupid_ wasting their time standing there, putting on his mask and sunglasses. He should have just taken Sasuke's hand and fled the scene.

"Naruto, how's the evening going?" she asked sarcastically, casting a dry sidelong glance at Sasuke who stood to her right, at an arm's length. Her look was lost as Sasuke's gaze was focused only on Naruto.

Naruto let out a long breath as he regarded Hinata with a look that made Hinata bristle. Ignoring the question, he took a step closer to Hinata and contrary to her usual actions, Hinata found herself taking a step back. "Hinata-sama, we need to talk."

Then he turned to Sasuke, nodded once before turning around and walking away from there.

* * *

Hinata tried convincing herself that she wasn't nervous but the pounding of her heart said otherwise. Her mouth was dry now and she was aware of how red her cheeks were when she followed Naruto to a quiet corner he'd chosen.

"Hinata-sama, I'm sorry I can't do this anymore," Naruto turned around and cut to the chase. The holidays he'd anticipated with a bated breath had become a hellish nightmare beyond his imagination. But now he was going to put a full stop to this whole drama, once and for all. He licked his lips to start again. "I've tried every possible way to tell you that I'm not interested in you or your advances. I understand that you like me and I'm flattered but Hinata-sama, I don't like you!"

Hinata took the blow more swiftly than he imagined, because she just crossed her arms across her chest and tilted her head to one side. "Is it because of this "mysterious girlfriend" that Mrs. Uchiha was talking about?" she asked.

"Mysterious girlfriend?" Naruto asked, unable to help himself.

"Your girlfriend? The girl who works in Thailand?" Hinata quizzed.

" _Who_?" Naruto chuckled at the unbelievable turn of this conversation.

"Mrs. Uchiha told me about your long-distance relationship. Sakura or something her name was? Isn't that her?" Hinata asked, throwing out her arms at Naruto for explanation.

"Sakura?" Naruto gasped, fighting a misplaced urge to chuckle. He figured it was the result of Sasuke's vague information that caused this. "Sakura is my friend," he clarified, finally.

It didn't add up. When Mrs. Uchiha told her about Naruto's long-distance girlfriend, she spent the night digging up information on Naruto's friends only to discover a Haruno Sakura who worked in Thailand. Naturally, she'd put two and two together to arrive at this conclusion. The hurt she'd felt at the rejection was still raw, but now she was convinced Naruto was saying all this just to get her off his back.

"You are lying to me!" she returned hotly.

Naruto threw up his hands in exasperation. "Hinata-sama, why pray tell me, would I lie to you? Sakura is not my girlfriend. She cannot be my girlfriend because I'm… because I'm - " _gay_. He tried to get the word out but it was stuck in his throat. He rubbed his face agitatedly.

Hinata glared at him, vitriol oozing from every pore. "What? Tell me! Spin me more lies so that I can believe you Naruto! Tell me!" she shouted.

Naruto clenched his fists and pushed them to his mouth, wanting nothing more to come out and tell her but a vision of Mikoto Uchiha looking devastated swam in his mind's eye and he knew he couldn't do it.

"Forget it," he sighed, shaking his head. He couldn't do it to Sasuke.

_Sasuke, my Sasuke._

Hinata made an impatient sound. "Oh, so now I should forget it!" Hinata scoffed, not willing to end the conversation there. She tried another approach. "Don't you think I should at least have the right to know who I lost to?" she asked quietly.

Naruto felt his heart twist in his chest. He was never good with that tone. But this confession would ruin Sasuke's warm and loving family. "You didn't lose. It just could have never been you." he said quietly.

That just fueled Hinata's ire some more. She laughed without humor. "Oh, so now you are oh-so-great that you would not even consider someone like me?" Hinata's ego shattered. "Now you need to tell me Naruto, just who is it that has you wrapped around their finger that "it could never have been me?"" Hinata asked, making quote marks in the air.

"Me," Sasuke's voice was quiet and unexpected. Naruto's head shot up immediately and he turned bewildered eyes towards his lover who just looked back at him coolly.

"What?" Hinata made no attempt to guise her disgust at Sasuke's presence. "But you're a man!" she let out.

"Exactly why it could have never been you. Naruto is…we both are…um…together." Sasuke finished, walking past her towards Naruto. Once he was beside Naruto, he took Naruto's hand and threaded their fingers together. Naruto's face was still turned in Sasuke's direction, his expression of shocked disbelief twisting Sasuke's heart with love.

Hinata pointed rudely at Sasuke, "You made him gay!" she said, accusingly. Then she turned to Naruto and repeated, "Naruto, this _scum_ made you gay!"

Naruto laughed as his eyes bored into Hinata's. "I'm sorry Hinata-sama but surely you're not _that_ stupid to believe a man can turn another gay!"

A corner of Sasuke's lips lifted in a smile as he watched the drama unfolding before him. "You are…you both are lying to me!" she started, more out of shock than disbelief. She'd seen the way the two communicated with each other, and a part of her brain was beginning to decode everything in a new light.

Sasuke smirked and then turning towards Naruto, leaned forward and kissed him, on the mouth. Naruto instinctively kissed him back. Sasuke then turned towards Hinata and raised a brow at her. "It's true," was all he said.

Hinata was still shaking her head to deny everything she'd just heard or seen but Naruto's brain was searching for a way to control the damage. "Hinata-sama, I know this hasn't been easy for you and I know I sound very shameless and brazen but I request you to not tell anyone." Naruto implored.

Hinata was still too shell shocked to actually say anything. She stood there for a heartbeat staring at both their faces but there were tears forming in her eyes now and she would have rather died than cried in front of them, so she turned on her heel and vanished into the crowd.

At once, Naruto rounded on Sasuke. "Are you mad? Why did you tell her? What if she tells your mom or worse your dad?" Naruto bombarded Sasuke, moving his hands animatedly as if trying to explain the gravity of the situation to him.

"She won't," Sasuke said, pocketing his hands and turning to Naruto. He planted another kiss on Naruto's lips, the exhilaration of what he'd just done, hitting him. It felt good…liberating.

"And how do you know?" Naruto asked, his gaze dropping to Sasuke's lips which were stretched in a smug smile.

"Let's call it, instinct?" Sasuke said, tilting his head to the side.

Naruto dropped their hands to cup Sasuke's nape and bring their faces closer for a proper kiss. "You are absolutely insane!" he whispered before capturing Sasuke's lips in a soft kiss.

"I know. Now shall we get out of here?" Sasuke asked suggestively.

He smiled when Naruto wordlessly took his hand in his and turned to lead them out of the park.

* * *

The second Sasuke closed the door behind him, Naruto pushed him against it and latched his mouth to Sasuke's with an urgency that took Sasuke by surprise. "What was that about?" Sasuke asked him huskily.

Naruto pressed his lips to Sasuke's for another brief kiss before answering. "That was for what you did in front of Hinata," he replied solemnly.

Sasuke grinned. If that was all it took to get Naruto to become like this, he could do it every day for the rest of his life. He leaned forward and kissed Naruto again. "You're welcome," he said.

They indulged a little more in exchanging tiny kisses, till Naruto's hands were on his shoulders and he was working on removing Sasuke's coat. Sasuke's hands meanwhile busied themselves in lifting Naruto's sweater and then his hands were roaming all over Naruto's stomach to wreak havoc on Naruto's senses.

Naruto moaned when Sasuke broke the kiss. "Let's take this to the bedroom, shall we?" He nodded at Sasuke's question and made quick work of ridding himself of his boots and coats. Next, he attacked Sasuke who was still removing his scarf and folding it neatly. He grabbed the scarf from Sasuke's hands and chucked it on top of the shoe rack at the entrance, not caring where it landed. Then he proceeded to take Sasuke by the hand and move in the direction of his bedroom.

Once inside, they hurriedly took off their clothes amidst kissing. Naruto latched his lips on Sasuke's neck and kissed his rapid pulse with an urgency that had Sasuke throwing back his head and moaning in need. Sasuke's hands moved to Naruto's hair and tugged mainly for keeping himself steady. When he tugged harshly at Naruto's hair, Naruto put his arms around his pliant lover and dropped them back on the bed. They continued making out for a while till Naruto sat up and pulled Sasuke into his lap.

"I love you, Sasuke," he said with so much sincerity shining in his eyes that Sasuke's heart lurched.

"I know," he said as he bent down once again to take Naruto's lips in another soul searing kiss. Suddenly, he pushed Naruto's shoulder till Naruto fell on the bed and straddled him quickly. He locked his eyes with blazing blue ones of his lover and said, "I've missed this."

Naruto couldn't help it then. He lifted his head and caught a dark nipple between his lips. He sucked it for a moment and then tugged it between his teeth, causing Sasuke to hiss at the pain. He then proceeded to lick it to soothe the hurt away as Sasuke's hands once again lost themselves in Naruto's hair. He bucked his hips when Naruto switched nipples and immediately Naruto opened his legs to trap Sasuke's legs in between.

Naruto's blunt nails raked down Sasuke's back and sides, arousing Sasuke to complete hardness. Sasuke moved his hips again to align their erections together and moved one of his hands to wrap around their heat, beginning to jerk them slowly. He sighed when slick liquid oozed out and caused their arousals to move smoothly together. Naruto's hand joined his then, and together they worked themselves to a quick release.

Sasuke lay down on Naruto's chest as he came down from his high. Naruto rubbed soothing circles on his back. Neither minded the wetness between them for a while but Sasuke got up after a long moment to grab some wet wipes to clean them both. Then they both slid under the covers and Sasuke stretched languorously on his stomach and turned his face to Naruto's. Naruto wore an expression Sasuke had seen on his face about a million times after lovemaking. It was always full of wonder and love. Naruto smiled lazily at Sasuke before scooting closer and placing an arm around Sasuke's waist. He turned his head and began placing a stream of small kisses from Sasuke's bicep to his shoulder. Sasuke caught his face when he reached the shoulder for a torrid kiss as heat began pooling in his belly once again.

They kissed for a long moment and by the time they broke for air, Sasuke's legs were once again tangled with Naruto's along with their covers.

"I want to stay like this forever," Naruto said as he ran his hand across Sasuke's back and stared deep into midnight eyes.

Sasuke raised a brow in humor. "Tangled?"

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Tangled in love with you," he said.

Sasuke placed a kiss on Naruto's chin. "Would it be too corny if I said, 'me too?'"

Naruto grinned and shook his head. "I think it would be perfect," he replied seriously.

Sasuke's heart did that funny somersault it always did when it hit him how his time with Naruto in Sapporo was so limited. He didn't say anything but looked back at Naruto with a small smile.

Naruto shifted his hips and drew Sasuke on his chest. Obediently, Sasuke rested his head on Naruto's chest and listened to Naruto's slow and steady heartbeat.

"I think this is perfect enough, as it is," was all he said as his eyes drifted close. He smiled when he felt Naruto nod.

And just like that, the two drifted off to sleep.

 _Home_ , they thought.

* * *

_**The End** _


End file.
